Mine-door.



No. 870,420. PATENTED OV. 5, A1907. 0. N. BARTHOM L T. GALLAHER.

MINE DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21. 1907.

I l l I 3 BETE-SHEET 2.

PATENTBD NOV. 5, 1907;

MINE DOOR.

O. N. EARTHOM & T. GALLAHER.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 21, 1907.

No. 870,420. v PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907. 0. N. BARTHOM & T. GALLAHER.

MINE DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21,1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET s.

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OSCAR N. EARTHOM AND TOLBERT GALLAHER, OF ADENA, OHIO, ASSIGNORS OFONE-THIRD TO GEORGE W. TIDRIOH, OF DILLONVALE, OHIO.

MINE-Doon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

Application filed J une 2l, 1907. Serial No. 380.064.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, OSCAR N. EARTHOM and TOL- BERT GALLAHER, citizensof the United States, and residents of Adena, in the county of Jeffersonand State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Mine-Door, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to mine doors and more particularly to that classof doors used in connection with mine drifts or levels.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong and eflcientmine door having means adapted to be actuated by a car for ore, coal andthe like, for operating the door.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong andlefficient mine door for regulating the ventilation in mines and othersimilar workings, which is operable by a car for ore, coal and the like,and which is so constructed that it opens and closes transversely of themine passageway, thereby requiring less room for its operating than aswinging door.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more particularly described' hereinafter and fully set forth in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures, and in which Figure l is a planview of a mine level, drift or other passageway, showing my linventionapplied thereto; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the mine door in adifferent position; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the invention; Fig. 4is a longitudinal section of the mine passageway, showing one of thewings of the mine door in a closed position, Fig. 5 is a verticalsection on the line 5 5 of Fig. l; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of adetail.

Before proceeding to a more detailed explanation of my invention, itshould be understood that it is customary to employ doors in the drifts,levels, galleries or other passageways of mines, such for instance, ascoal mines, for the suitable regulation of the ventilation in the mine.These doors must necessarily be opened each time a coal, ore or othercar travels through the passageway and must be closed again subsequentto the passage of the car beyond the door, for if the doors are'allowed'to remain open for any length of time serious difficulty withthe Ventilating system is liable to occur. In order to save time andlabor in the operation of mine doors, I provide a device of this classwhich is automatically operated by the car itself, and which thereforeneeds no supervision or attendance on the part of operator driving thecar. At the same time my mine door can be easily opened independentofthe l car-actuated mechanism. In various kinds of mines swinging minedoors are often employed, which are usually arranged to swing in but onedirection. If the normal draft of the air in the mine passageway is in adirection opposite to the swinging direction of the door, the pressureof the air normally tends to hold the door shut. YIf the direction ofthe draft is in the same direction as the swing of the door, thepressure of the air will tend to open the door, and unless suitablemeans are provided for powerfully holding the door in the closedposition there'will often be a constant escape of the air through theslightly opened door, and this state of affairs tends to cause faultyoperation of the Ventilating system. To obviate this difficulty Iprovide a mine door which opens transversely of the length of the minepassageway, so that the operation of the door is quite independent ofthe normal direction of the draft of the air in tne passageway. Topermit of this arrangement I employ doors of flexible material, such ascanvas, provided with suitable bracing strips of wood or metal. When thedoors are in the closed position the flexible material is extendedacross the passageway. When the doors are opened, the flexible materialcan fold up to permit the movement ofthe doors in a directionsubstantially at right angles with the walls of the passageway; that is,transversely of the latter.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I represents a passagewayof a mine such as a level, drift or gallery. The mine is shored orbraced with the usual vertical and horizontal timbers 2 and 3respectively,

and the cross timbers 4 carried by thevertical timbers..

Track rails 5 carried by ties 6 of any preferred or common form, arelaid longitudinally of the passageway and upon these rails the mine carstravel. The latter may be of any type and are used for transporting theore or coal from the mine to the surface. Each mine door comprisessimilar wings each arranged to extend substantially half-way across thepassageway. Each wing has at the outer' end a door upright 7 of wood,metal or any other suitable material. Fastened to the inner edge of theupright 7 is a flexible body 8. The flexible body of each door wing mayconsist of wooden or metal slats joined by a fabric backing, or mayconsist of slats suitably hinged together. The vertical edge of eachbody 8 at the side opposite to the upright 7 is secured to a suitabletimber 9, carried at the side of the passageway by one of the usual minetimbers. The flexible body is secured to the timber 9 by means of ametal fastener l0, having an edge ll folded upon itself to clamp theflexible body. The opposite edge of the body 8 is secured to theuprights 7 by means of a similar fastener l2. Rigid with each of theuprights 7 and at an angle therewith are arms I3 and I4, near the upperand lower ends of the uprights respectively.

The. arms 13 and 14 are normally at an angle with the length of thepassageway, and have the endsv remote from the uprights secured to avertical shaft 15, pivotally mounted in suitable brackets 16 at the sideof the passageway. The arm 14 has an extension 17 at the side of theshaft 15 remote from the door, which is pivotally connected with a bellcrank lever 18 mounted in a suitable bracket 19 carried by one of thetimbers at the side of the passageway. The bell crank lever 18 and thearm 14 are connected by means of a short link 20. The bracket 16 has alateral ear 21. The ear 21 has an opening in which is slidably arrangeda rod 22 having the lower end secured to an arm of the bell crank lever18; near the opposite ends the rod 22 has slidable collars 23. A helicalspring 24 is arranged upon the rod 22 between the collars 23, andresists the movement of the bell crank lever 18. Thus as each of thedoor wings is moved toward the corresponding side of the passageway thearms and the shaft are operated, the extension 17 of the arm 14 swingingthe bell crank lever about its pivot against the resistance of thehelical spring. Correspondingly, when the door wings are released, thespring operates the bell crank lever 18 which in tmn operates the arm 14to move the door Wing into the closed position. At the opposite side,each oi the door wings has an arm 25 pivotally mounted at the side ofthe passageway upon a suitably hinged bracket 26. The arm 25 has ahinged part 27 at the end adjacent to the door wing, which in turn ishinged to the door upright 7. The part 27 of each arm is normally at anangle with the body of the arm when the door wing is in the closedposition. When the door wing is advanced toward the side of thepassageway, the hinged part 27 of the arm swings toward the body of thearm, to shorten the latter between the door uprights and the point ofattachment of the arm 25 at the hinged bracket 26. It is of coursenecessary for one of the supporting arms at one side of the door wing toshorten as the latter is moved toward the side of the passageway.

On the same side of the mine door as the arms 25 of each wing, areopposite, similar, actuating rails 28.

v The actuating rails 28 are preferably formed of angle offset portions29 provided at the ends with slots 30.

outwardly disposed extensions 32 carrying pins 33 arranged to slide inthe slots 3() of the actuating rails 28. The actuating rails 31 havelaterally pivoted arms 34. At the sides adjacent to the sides of thepassageway, the arms 34 present elongated slots 35 in which are slidablyarranged pins 36 carried by the arms 13. The arrangement is such thatwhen the door wings are in the closed or normal position the pins 36 arelocated adjacent to the inner ends of the slots 35; thus the doors canbe "pened independent of the actuating rails 31, the pins 36 slidingfreely in the slots 35. When the actuating rails are moved outwardlyhowever, the inner ends of ward ly to open the same. The ends of therails 28 and 31 remote from the door wings are pivotally mounted in theslots 38 of slide blocks 37 The slide blocks 37 are located in guidegrooves 39 in supporting members 40 arranged at the sides of thepassageway. The supporting members 40 are preferably carried on a crosstimber 41 arranged on the floor of the passageway. At the back eachsupporting member 40 has an upward extension 42 upon which is mounted aplate 43. Between the plate 43 and the supporting member 40'the slideblock is arranged to slide and presents at the rear, a rod 44. The rearend of the plate 43 is downwardly disposed to form a toe 45 presentingan opening in which the rod 44 is slidably arranged. A helical spring 46is mounted upon the rod 44 between the end of the slide block and thethe slots 35 engage the pins 36 and force the wings outA inner face ofthe toe 45, to resist the sliding movement l of the block 37. By meansof this arrangement, the actuating rails 28 and 31 are resilientlypivoted, so that when a car moving along the track comes into engagementwith the actuating rails `the jar incident to the contact is absorbed bythe spring 46, and thereby the danger of derailment 'dueto the actuatingrail is minimized. Although the jar or shock is absorbed by the spring,the resistance of the latter is sufficient to hold the actuating railsiirmly and to permit the car to swing the latter outwardly to open thedoor-wings.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. In :i device of the class described, aexible door :i1-ranged to open and close transversely of the minepassageway, a car-actuated member independent of said door and adaptedto engage said door to open the same when said member is actuated,resilient means for normally holding said door in a closed position, anda resiliently-held block, said car actuated member being pivotallymounted upon said block at the end tirst engaged by the car.

2. In a device of the class described, a flexible door, a swinging armhaving an end section at a side of the mine passageway and adapted onoperation to engage said door at the opposite 'end to open the same, andcaractuated mechanism controlling said arm, said door being operableindependent of any movement of said arm.

3. In a device of the class described, a iiexible door arranged to openand close transversely of the mine passageway, a swinging arm having anend secured at a side of the mine passageway and adapted on operation toengage said door at the opposite end to open the same, said arm normallylying at an angle with the longitudinal direction of said passageway,and car-actuated mechanism controlling said arm, said door beingoperable independent of any movement of said swinging arm.

4. In a device of the .class described, a iiexible door arranged to openand close transversely of the mine passageway, arms at opposite sides ofsaid door and adapted on operation to engage said door at the presentends to open same, the opposite ends of each arm being pivoted at a sideof the mine passageway, and car-actuated mechanism controlling one ofsaid arms to operate said door, said door being operable independent ofany movement of said arms.

5. In a device of the class described, a door arranged to open and closetransversely of the mine passageway, a swinging arm having an endpivoted at a side of the mine passageway and adapted to engage said doorat the opposite end to open the same when said arm is operated, said armnormally extending into said passageway when said door is closed, meansfor holding said arm in a normal position, and a member controlling saidarm and adapted to be actuated by a car, said door being capable ofoperation independent of any movement of said arm and said member.

6. In a device of the class described, a door arranged to open and closetransversely of the mine passageway, a swinging arm having an endsecured to said door and the opposite end pivoted at a side of the minepassageway, a spring-held lever operatively connected with said arm tohold the same in a normal position with the door closed, and a pivotedmember adapted to engage said arm to operate said door when said'memberis actuated by a car.

7. In a device of the class described, a door arranged t0 open and closetransversely of the mine passageway, a swinging arm having an endsecured to said door and the opposite end pivoted at a side of the minepassageway, said arm normally extending from the side ot' the minepassageway to hold said door in a closed position, a lever, a springholding said lever in the normal position, a link operativelyconnectingr said arm and said lever, and a pivoted member controllingsaid arm and adapted to be actuated by a car.

8. In a device of the class described, a door arranged to open and closetransversely of the mine passageway, a swinging arm having an endsecured to said door and the opposite end pivoted at a side of the minepassageway, a lever, a link operatively connecting'said lever and saidarm, a spring resisting the movement of said level', a pivoted memberoperable by a car and adapted to engage said arm to operate said doorwhen said member is actuated, and means for resiliently holding the endof said member first engaged by a car,

9. In a device of the class described, a door arranged to open and closetransversely of the mine passageway, an arm having an end secured tosaid doorv and the opposite end pivoted at a side of the minepassageway, a second arm at the opposite side of said door remote fromsaid first arm and having an end hinged to said door and the oppositeend pivoted at a side of the mine passageway, a lever, a linkoperatively connecting said lever and said first arm, a spring resistingthe movement of said lever, a member having a pivoted arm engaging saidfirst arm and adapted to be actuated by a car, and a second member atthe side of said door remote from said first member and adapted to beactuated by a car, said members being pivotally connected.

l0. In a device of the class described, a door arranged to open andclose transversely of the mine passageway, an arm having an end securedto said door and the opposite end pivoted at a side of the minepassageway, a member adapted to be actuated by a car, a second member atthe side of said door remote from said first member and adapted to beactuated by a car, said second member having a slot near the end, saidfirst member having a pin operatively arranged in said slot, andresiliently-held blocks, said members being pivoted on said blocks nearthe ends irst engaged by the car.

11. In a device of the class described, a iiexible door arranged to openand close transversely of the mine passageway, an arm having an endsecured to said door and the opposite end pivoted at a side of the minepassageway, resilient means for resisting the movement of said arm, asecond arm at the side of said door remote from said first 'arm andhaving a hinged part pivotally mounted at said door, said second armhaving the end remote from said hinged part pivotally mounted at a sideof the mine passageway, and a plurality of members at the opposite sidesof said door and controlling said first arm to operate said door, saidmembers being adapted to be actuated by a ear.

12. In a device of the class described, a flexible door arranged to openand close transversely of the mine passageway, an arm having an endsecured to said door and the opposite end pivoted at a side of the minepassageway, resilient means for resisting the movement of said arm, amember having a pivoted arm presenting a slot, said first arm having apin engaging said slot, a second member at the side of said door remotefrom said rst member and operatively connected with said irst member,the ends of said members remote from said door being resiliently held.

13. In a device of the class described, a dexible door arranged to openand close transversely of the mine passageway, an arm having an endsecured to said door and the opposite end pivoted at a side of the minepassageway, a lever, a link operatively connecting said arm and saidlever, a spring resisting the movement of said lever, a second armhaving a hinged part pivotally mounted at said door, said second armhaving the end remote from said hinged part pivotally mounted at a sideof the mine passageway, brackets at each side of said door, blocksslidably arranged upon said brackets, springs resisting the movement ofsaid blocks, members pivoted on said blocks and extending toward saiddoor and normally at an angle with the longitudinal direction of themine passageway, said opposite members being operatively connected, oneof said members having a pivoted slotted arm engaging said first arm tocontrol said door.

in testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OSCAR N. EARTHOM. TOLBERT GALLAHER.

Witnesses GEORGE W. TIDRICK, JASPER N. RICHARDSON.

